Health & Fitness

Soot Pollution in Port Harcourt: PENGASSAN Decries Soot Menace in Port Harcourt and Environs

Daniel Efe/Port Harcourt

 

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has called on the Federal and Rivers State Government to urgently put an end to illegal refineries causing soot in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

 

According to the senior staff trade union, the soot, in the form of thick black smoke which covers the entire Port Harcourt city, could be the root cause of some of the respiratory problems being experienced inhabitants of the city, saying that the health implications of the endemic black soot in Port Harcourt could be worse than Ebola if evaluated on the long term effect.

 

 

In a statement signed by the PENGASSAN National Public Relations Officer, Comrade Fortune Obi, this soot is not getting any serious attention because most of the people affected are still performing their daily task while they swim in this soot that has been confirmed by experts to be carcinogenic.

 

 

“The black soot settles on everything and finds its way into the corners of living rooms no matter how hard people try to stop it. Food items in Port Harcourt markets are as well not spared from getting mixed with this deadly soot that is ever present everywhere,” he stated.

 

Comrade Obi said PENGASSAN in collaboration with other concerned bodies and citizens have severally created awareness to call the attention of the government to act swiftly and put an end to whatever is the source of this killer soot. “Majority believed that the source of this soot is due to ‘’incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons as well as asphalt processing, burning of barges/vessels used for oil bunkering and illegal artisanal refinery operations” in some parts of the state.

 

“There is need for collaboration among all stakeholders to end this environmental hazard. We therefore call on the State and the Federal Government to put strategic action in place to finally address this black soot and put an end to whatever is the source.“ This is not the time to play politics with people’s lives.

 

The Federal and State Governments, security agencies as well as all agencies in charge of environment including National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and its Rivers State counterpart, National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSRDA), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and other agencies handling related issues should tow a defined and safe path in handling illegal oil vessels as well as the criminal act of illegal refining of crude oil that are said to be the key reason of this menace.

 

Read Also: Peterside Flays Wike Over Allegation of Soot Killing, Election Rigging

 

“The governments should also involve the locals and possibly constitute them into Environmental councils to monitor their areas for any possible illegal refining of the crude and such other dangerous acts that are inimical to human existence.” Comrade Obi demanded that the criminals perpetrating these evils should be arrested and prosecuted.

 

0 0 votes
Article Rating
towncrierng

Recent Posts

RIVERS PDP TURNS WIKE LOYALISTS TO SECURITY GUARDS, PLANS DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE

By Memoye Oghu The acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers state,…

2 months ago

Fake News! No presidential order to reinstate Obasa

  Claims that President Bola Tinubu has ordered the reinstatement of former Lagos State House…

2 months ago

Comptroller Babandede Charges Newly Promoted Officers On Greater Service and Competence

  The Customs Controller, Area 2 Command, Onne, Comptroller Muhammad Babandede has charged newly promoted…

2 months ago

Activist slams Obasa: Warns against provoking Lagos unrest

    Dr. Wale Ajewunmi, a prominent civil and political rights activist, has urged former…

2 months ago

Lagos Assembly fires back: Obasa’s impeachment stands

  The Lagos State House of Assembly has firmly responded to former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa’s…

2 months ago

Rivers: Supreme Court Fixes February 10 To Hear Five Cases

  The Supreme Court, today, fixed February 10, 2025, for the hearing of five separate…

2 months ago